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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Remember how I promised that I have been busy sewing? Well...here's a little proof ;)

When I tested the Snappy Tunic Tank pattern from Monkeysbugs Patterns I couldn't wait to share. It is one of those patterns that you just can't help but love. So I kept checking every day; waiting for it's release while my excitement bubbled over. Then I came down sick...

The pattern released weeks ago; but I am a self-reported bad blogger.

Check out the cuteness!

I mixed options for this tank. I made a bias trim neckline and used a rolled hem for the arms.

Friday, August 23, 2013

So...I have been a very bad blogger of late. Sure, I have been sewing, oh yes, I have been sewing...but...I haven't been sharing. And that's what blogging is all about! I know, how selfish, right? So it goes like this: I allowed my self some R&R, visited some friends, found a long lost brother, then I got sick...or lazy...or maybe both ;) After a short while my sewing machine was calling for me, but the computer was simply mocking me! That is until I made the Full Circle Dress for Kikoi Patterns ...then my heart started to flutter and I just had to share!

I am back, yahoo! So, maybe I did come full circle, so to speak.

But the full circle I really want to talk about today is this dress.

... <3 swoon <3...

I loved this dress from the moment I saw, but watching Keilana enjoy the one I made her just made my day. Just look at her sassy attitude!

I love this girl! Her birthday is this next week and she will be, gulp, four! I am so doomed! Deep breaths...woooooo...okay, let's talk about the dress. ;)

This dress is so deceptively quick to sew. Honestly, I think I spent more time making the bias tape than it took me to sew the whole dress together. And that is because i am stubborn and wanted to use every last bit of scrap material, so I was sewing together bias strips that were only about 7 inches long. Ha! But it was so worth it!

The most wonderful thing about this dress is the closure. "What closure?", you say. Exactly! The low scoop in the back allows this baby to slip right on...no buttonholes, no zippers. The bow is sewn over the scoop and holds everything nicely in place. Not to mention the bow ups the cuteness factor exponentially!

The skirt section of the dress is a double layer "full circle". That means no side seams! We are just racking up the points here. But the circle portion really takes it home with the twirliness points! Mmm,hmm!

Oh, there she goes :'(...my baby girl.

Forgive me if I go through this crisis every year near her birthday. Or, all my kid's birthdays for that matter. They just grow up too quick!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Bonnie creates designs that are classic and stylish! And my favorite part...boy patterns. Any sewing mama with boys knows that boy patterns are hard to come by, but Bonnie makes it look easy with her awesome patterns. Which brings me to my Jersey Love creation...

My boys are seriously big on comfort when it comes to pants, so this selection was really a no brainer for me.

If you'd like to talk about comfort then we must talk about these Riley Blake knits; they are like butter...so soft and creamy. They are a 95% cotton and 5% spandex blend which makes them just heavenly to work with. Now, sewing with knits really was my first love, but honestly I still tend to avoid jersey knits quite often. Jersey just tends to be more finicky to work with. But not so with these Riley Blake knits! The spandex blend gives the jersey enough stability that I found no need to break out all the usual tools required (such as starch, and fabric stabilizer). Nope, I didn't need any of those!

We really put the "Runaround" part of the name to the test today.

On the jungle gym...and up a tree...

I am happy to report that it passed with flying colors!

The Runaround Pants pattern comes with all kinds of wonderful options that I have come to love
about Fishsticks Designs. It can be made as pants, capris, or shorts.
You can have all the pockets, some, or none. It can even be made with or
without the stripe. And, the most awesomest part... the sizing goes all
the way up to a size 12!

My kids are just getting too big too fast. I told Ethan two birthdays ago that he wasn't allowed to grow anymore, but he didn't listen ;)

Now that we've had some fun let's talk about some details. If you've read any of my past posts you'd know that I like to modify patterns quite often. I guess I am always looking to personalize the things I make. But with the Runaround Pants I really didn't change much. I just didn't feel the need to. Probably because they are pretty darn awesome the way they are!

There are only two small details I did change. Firstly, which isn't really a "change", I used my beloved twin needle to hem the top edge of the pockets. I just love the finished look of the double stitched lines.

And the second thing I did different was the top pockets. I am really feeling the side stripe. I love it so much, in fact, that I didn't want to disrupt it (so to speak). So, instead of the curved top pockets, I made another, smaller, side pocket. I even used the same striped fabric to keep the flow. I just placed it a few inches below the waistband to make it a top pocket. Ethan really loved that detail :)

I kept hearing "I really like these pants!" and, "I look good in this outfit!". LOL. I guess that means it was a big win :) Thank you Bonnie, and thank you Riley Blake Designs! I hope to have many more adventures with the two of you!